Under the Deodars

The contents list of Rudyard Kipling's Under the Deodars names, among others, The Education of Otis Yeere, At the Pit’s Mouth and A Wayside Comedy. Under the heading THE EDUCATION OF OTIS YEERE, the text says "This is the history of a failure; but the woman who failed said that it might be an instructive tale to put into print for the benefit of the younger generation." The narrator places the beginning of the story at Simla, where all things begin and many come to an evil end. Mrs. Hauksbee says that she will abandon the notion of a salon, though it did seem so tempting.

A speaker asks Polly "are you afraid of diphtheria?" and says the Bent baby has got it, and the whole hotel is upside down in consequence. A speaker says that the rooted habit of the people is to gather in small self-contained, self-sufficing family groups with no thought or care for any interests but their own. A speaker addresses Orde with "your Indian army is too big", and the reply is "Not nearly big enough for its main purpose."